Germany's deal with the devil

In general , German literature boasts magnificent works created by writers such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller. Xi first came across Goethe's work at age 14 when he read The Sorrows of Young Werther .

During his time working in rural China , he walked 30 kilometers to borrow a copy of Faust from an educated youth that he knew. Perhaps it was the great lengths he went through to get the book , but he fell in love with it after reading it.

During one visit to Germany , Xi admitted to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and a group of German sinologists that the fertile imagination seen in Faust made it difficult for him to understand.

"Even Germans are unable to fully understand Faust , let alone you ," came their answer.

The wild spirit of the US

When it comes to the literature of the US , poetry anthology Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman and novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain are both on Xi's reading list.

However , his favorite US author by far is Jack London , the author behind The Call of the Wild , The Sea-Wolf and Love of Life , the short story much loved by Lenin.

Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea impressed Xi a lot with its detailed description of the furious storm , huge waves ,small boat , old man and sharks. To better understand Hemingway's spirit , Xi looked for spots where Hemingway wrote the novel each time he visited Cuba. His first trip took him to a trestle bridge and the second to a bar where the author used to write.

"His (Hemingway) favorite drink is called the Mojito. It's made from rum and peppermint with ice and sugar added. The spirit described in The Old Man and the Sea is immortal , " the People's Daily article quoted Xi.

France's touching moments

Xi wasn't just charmed by France's rich literature , but also the country's history , philosophy and art. French classic works were some of the earliest books to be translated into Chinese , among these Stendhal's The Red and The Black and Honoré de Balzac's The Human Comedy caused quite a stir at the time.

However , it was the works of Victor Hugo that left the biggest impression on Xi. Both Les Misérables and Ninety-Three were set among the French Revolution. Xi once mentioned one of the moments that touched him the most was when Bishop Myriel helps Jean Valjean and encourages him to be a better man , "Great works have such a great power to move readers."